“Because you will often find that they mean something entirely different, and later on the knowledge may be valuable. But I hear the horses. I’m sorry I cannot read Aryenis’s thoughts for you. But I have told you some things which may help you to read them yourself if ever you should like to take up magic.” I had a lot of things to ponder as I rode home, but somehow I did not feel so sand-papery inside as I had been. Paulos is a most soothing person. CHAPTER XX I MAKE A BET WITH ARYENIS I had to hurry to get back in time for the evening meal, and it was dark before I rode up the paved street into Kyrlos’s palace. Fortune sent me to sit next to Aryenis that night, an honour I had not enjoyed for the last two or three days. An Aryenis in dress of flowing silk, with low square-cut neck--the offending bandage had been removed--which showed the faultless turn of her slim throat above her beautifully modelled shoulders. Simple clothes, and but little in the way of ornament, save for the sapphire pendant on the thinnest of gold chains, which gleamed against the rose ivory of her bosom, and the little gold clasps that sparkled in the gold-flecked wealth of her auburn hair. “And where have you been all day, Harilek?” she asked. “I was looking for you this evening to ride with me.” “I wish I had known that. But I thought you would be engaged all day, and so, as every one else seemed occupied, I rode out this morning with Payindah down the Aornos road.” “You were a long time, since you were not at breakfast, and have but just come in. How far did you go?” “I went to see Paulos.” “You went to Paulos! You never told me that you were going! Harilek, you’re getting very secretive. If you had told me, I should have ridden with you, for I have not seen him for many days.” “Well, how was I to know that you wanted to go? I thought you were riding--as usual--with Ziné and the others.” “Yes, but I’d have changed that to go and see Paulos. Besides, I promised to show you some of the nice bits in his woods, you remember.” “Yes, I remember that, all right. I have a fairly good memory, though perhaps not as good as yours.” “Why mine? What do you know about my memory?” “Nothing very much, only Paulos was talking of it this afternoon. He said you never forgot anything.” “Oh, you were talking about me, were you? I wonder my ears didn’t burn. But I thought men always talked about things and not about people. I hope Paulos was giving me a good character; was he?” “Fair to middling. He was thought-reading most of the time, though.” “Whose thoughts? This is getting exciting.” “Mine mostly. You don’t think he was able to read yours, do you?” “I don’t know. He is very clever. He might be able to read mine better than I can myself.” “Can’t you always read your own, then, Aryenis?” “Not always as well as I should like to. They get rather mixed up sometimes.”